1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to alkali metal and alkaline earth metal alkoxides in granular form.
2. Description of the Background
Alkoxides are used for a wide variety of applications. Alkoxides are used in aldol addition reactions, esterification/transesterification reactions, malonic ester syntheses, ether formations, as well as being generally used as a base in other reactions. In addition, alkoxides are widely used in the food industry, for example in margarine production or vitamin A synthesis, in the pharmaceutical industry, for example in the preparation of antibiotics, analgesics, chemotherapy drugs and anti-epileptics, in the agrochemicals industry, for example in the production of herbicides and fungicides, and in many other fields, for example in the production of optical brighteners, UV absorbers and photoinitiators.
For these purposes, the alkoxides are generally used in the form of their alcoholic solutions or, if the alcohol is undesirable and it is technically and logistically possible, in powder form if available.
A disadvantage in the handling of an alkoxide powder is its tendency to form fine dust during packaging and transfer operations, because this dust is hazardous to human beings and machinery because of the strongly corrosive action of the alkoxides and because of the case with which they spontaneously ignite in the atmosphere.
When alkoxides are used as reactants, exothermic reactions which frequently occur and are difficult to control also represent an additional, not inconsiderable process risk. These hazard potentials require a very high outlay in terms of process engineering and apparatus.